Automobile lift



Aug. 20, 1935. F. R. JOHNSTON AUTOMOBILE LIFT Original Filed Au 20, 1934 I AUTOMOBILE LIFT I 1 Frank R. Johnston, l)ejs Moines, Iowa, assignor to Globe --Machinery & Supply Company, De

Moines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Original application August 20. 1934, Serial No. 740-598. Divided and this application Novemher 8, 1934, Serial No. 751,988

' I 4 Claims. (01.254-89) The subjectmatter of this application has been divided out of' my application filed August 20, 1934, Serial Number 740,598,- patented May 28 .1935,'as Patent N0.2,0O2,578. 1

i In the art of automobile lifts there are two general types, one known as the roll on type and the other as the free wheeling type. Both devices have certain advantages anddisadvantages.- 10

" The object of my invention is .to provide a device of simple, durable andinexpensive construction which may be used as an attachment to be applied to automobile lifts of the when type, and when the lift is elevated, to automatically move an automobile chassis on the lift to position for freeing the wheels from the wheel supporting members to thereby obtain the advantages of a free wheeling lift and at the same time retain all theadvantages of a roll on lift.

- More specifically, it is my object to provide a device Ofthis character in which, when the automobile wheels are automatically freed from contact with the wheel supporting members, and in position so that the operator may service the wheels as in a free wheeling lift, the automobile wheels are, when in said position, only slightly slightly spaced above the wheel supporting members so that in the event that for any reason the automobile should be. tilted laterally relative to the lift, the wheels would enter the wheel retaining members and prevent the auto- .mobile from falling off of. the lift.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a portion of an automobile lift of the roll on type having my improved wheel freeing device applied thereto, a portion of the wheel supporting member being shown in section.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional. view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 with the lift in an elevated position,

' to illustrate the wheel freeing member in its lowered position; and

Figure 4 shows a vertical sectional view on the line i 4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference numeral 2i! to indcate generally the main frame of an automobile lift of the kind now in common use. The lift is provided with the usual trough shaped wheel supporting through the openings 25 in the wheel supporting member of the lift. At one end of the wheel 10 engaging plate 23 is an upturned wheelstop mem-- ber 26, and pivoted to the end of the wheel engaging plate 23 opposite from the stop 26, is a ramp 21, the free end of which slidingly rests upon the top surface of the wheel supporting member 2 I.

For the purpose of engaging and supporting an automobile axle above the lift I have provided on each of the wheel supporting members a socket member 28, the lower end of which extends under the adjacent wheel supporting member 2|, 2 and issecured thereto by bolts, orthe like; and

1 detachably mounted in each socket 28 is an axle relative to the wheel supporting member 2|, be-

cause of the legs 26 engaging the floor; When in this position the ramp 2'! is inclined downwardly and its free end engages the top surface 35 of the wheel engaging member. When the automobile isdriven upon the .lift its front wheels will move upwardly over the ramps 21 and upon the wheel supporting plate 23, and its further advance movement will be stopped by the step 40 members 26, and when the front wheels are in this position the axle engaging member 29 will be directly beneath the axle of the automobile, but notin engagement therewith. Then, when the lift is elevated, the weight of the automobile 45 resting upon the wheel supporting plates 23 will hold said plates stationary, while the wheel supcontact with the wheels, thus freeing them so that they may be serviced in the same manner 55 as wheelsmay be serviced on the so-called free automatijc'w Y v 7 I I 'Another sadvantage' of my invention is; that when the lift is' elevated far enough so that an automobile thereonmay be serviced conveniently by an operator from beneath the lift, there is wheeling lift. Then, when the lift is moved downwardly the wheel supporting *plate is agam elevated torthe'; position showninFigure '1, so that this action of moving the automobile wheels to and from .a free wheeling position is entirely,

' an improved safety feature, in that by having the wheel supporting troughs Zl t spaced apart only ,slightlyt'beneath the wheels, these "wheel su porting troughs 2! will engage and holdthe'automobileagainst tipping qff of they liftjif for any,

should become tilted and tend to slide reason it I claim as my invention: I v

porting-member when thelift is in loweredpositionf c. a 2. The combination a with an automobile lift of "the roll on class and having a trough shaped wheelisupporting member, of a wheelengaging plate inounted above'the wheel supporting mem ber of the lift, legs for the wheellengaging plate extended downwardly andofzsuch length as to engage a floor and thereby hold' the wheel supporting plate elevated above the wheel supporta ing member when thelift' is in lowered position,

and aramp hinged to thejwheel engaging plate a and slidingly supportedupon the'wheel supportingmemberm 3 v 1 3; The combinationfwith an automobile lift of the ro1l on class and having a trough shaped 1wheel"supporting member, of a wheel engaging plate mounted above the'wheel supporting member of theili'ft,'legs' for the wheel engaging plate extended downwardly and of such length as to porting plate elevated above thewheel support-'- I ingfmember-when the lift is in loweredfposition, a ramphinged Vtothe wheel engaging plate and slidingly supported upon the wheel supporting member; and an upwardly extended'whefelstop at the othervencl: of the wheel supporting plate; 5-. :"flr ln anautomobile lift, the, combination-of aframe, a roll on runway carriedby the frame,

awheel supporting plate above the'runway and .engage a floorandgthereby hold the wheel sup- 7 capable of up and down movement from a, po-

sition close to the' runwavto; a position elevated above the runwaygmeans connected to saidplate v forsupporting it in its elevated position when the runway-is initslowered position,and=an axle Y engaging jack carried byithe'fra'me- FRANK- -R.;1JOI-INSTCN; 

